Contact lens applicator

ABSTRACT

A contact lens applicator for applying a contact lens to an eye of a user includes a base member, a stand, and a lens holder. The stand includes a first end, a second end, and a passageway. The lens holder includes a handle, a cup, and a passageway. The first end of the stand removably engages with the lens holder. The second end of the stand removably engages with the base member. The cup of the lens holder is configured to hold a contact lens. When the lens holder and the stand are removably engaged with the base member, the passageway of the stand and the passageway of the lens holder align above the base member, allowing natural light to pass through the passageways of the stand and the lens holder.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to contact lens applicatorsand, more particularly, to a contact lens applicator that allows for astable and guided application of a contact lens to a user's eye.

BACKGROUND

Most eye contact lenses are inserted manually into the eye using auser's finger. The contact lens is placed concave side upward on theuser's finger and placed onto the eye. User's hands are often shaky andunstable, causing misalignment or requiring multiple attempts to insertthe contact lens. User's are also sometimes nervous about touching theirown eyeball with their finger, making the use of contact lenses anunpleasant experience.

Inserting contact lenses that are dry is uncomfortable and can irritatea user's eye, causing an imperfect fit onto the eye. Utilizing contactlens solutions is preferred to avoid the irritations and issues with drycontact lenses. But inserting contact lenses manually or with otherapplicator devices using liquid solutions can be a messy process, withliquid dripping down a user's face or resulting in messy countertops orfloors.

Other contact lens applicators do not provide stability and alignmentsystems for the user to be able to effectively align the contact lenswith their eye during insertion. This can cause misalignment. If othercontact lens applicators do have an alignment system, it requires LEDsystems which can make the applicator expensive, or the alignment systemis too small and not effective.

SUMMARY

The disclosed example of a contact lens applicator includes a basemember, a stand, a lens holder, and a lid. The example contact lensapplicator is cost effective by being manufactured using medical gradepolycarbonate, and in some cases, medical grade silicone or latexmaterials. The base member can be configured to included an innersurface and retaining walls. The stand and lens holder can removablyengage with the base member to create an elevated, steady, and naturallight-guiding applicator or application kit for a contact lens,alleviating the need for the user to manually touch the contact lensduring insertion. The user can instead focus on holding their eye openwith both hands and/or multiple fingers while aligning with the contactlens on the contact lens applicator during insertion. The inner surfaceand retaining walls of the base member can hold any excess liquid thatis released from the contact lens when being inserted into a user's eye.

The stand and the lens holder include passageways through both the standand the lens holder that are aligned together when the stand and lensholder are engaged with the base member. The base member can include araised portion that also aligns with the passageways of the stand andthe lens holder when engaged with the base member, emphasizing a strongand consistent natural light tunnel through the stand and lens holderand further through the contact lens and to the user's eye in order forthe user to effectively align their opened eye with the contact lenswhile hovering over the contact lens applicator and touching their eyeto the contact lens.

The example contact lens applicator can further include a lid. The lidcan be the same shape as the base member and be configured to fit aroundthe retaining walls of the base member when engaged with the basemember. When the stand and the lens holder are disengaged ordisassembled from the base member, the stand and base member can fitwithin an inner cavity of the base member and the lid, for compacttransport and to keep the components of the contact lens applicatortogether.

In some examples, the base member can be configured as a basin for fullyretaining any excess liquid created from the preparation and applicationof a contact lens. In some examples, the stand can include one or morelegs having one or more ridges on the legs. The legs can include bendsthat create points on the legs. The shape of the legs, along with theridges, can assist in directing any excess liquid from the contact lensduring preparation and application. The points in the legs, along withthe ridges can be configured to direct the excess liquid into the basemember or basin of the contact lens applicator and avoid liquid spillingoutside of the base member onto external surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one example of a contact lensapplicator.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the example contact lensapplicator.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the example contact lens applicator.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the example contact lens applicator.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the example contact lens applicator,positioned below a user's face and eye.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the example contact lens applicator.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the example contact lens applicator.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures areillustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily beendrawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioningof some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative toother elements to help to improve understanding of various embodimentsof the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements thatare useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are oftennot depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of thesevarious embodiments. It will further be appreciated that certain actionsand/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order ofoccurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that suchspecificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It willalso be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have theordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressionsby persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above exceptwhere different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One example of a contact lens applicator 100 is shown in FIGS. 1-7. Thecontact lens applicator 100 can be conveniently sized for mobility andtravel applications and can be sized to secure and hold a single contactlens 700 during the application of the contact lens 700 onto a user'seye. The contact lens applicator 100 includes a base member 200, a stand300, and a lens holder 400.

The contact lens applicator 100 can be used for a standard contact lensthat fits the diameter of a user's cornea or with enlarged lenses, suchas a scleral lens or hybrid lens. Scleral lenses are large diameterlenses, with sizes ranging from 14 mm to 24 mm in diameter. Sclerallenses extend beyond the cornea of a user's eye and rest on the sclera,or white part, of the eye. In comparison to corneal lenses, sclerallenses bulge outward more than corneal lenses. The space between thecornea and the scleral lens can be filled with lens solution, orartificial tears solutions. The example shown illustrates a contact lensapplicator 100 for use with an enlarged contact lens 700.

In the example shown, the base member 200 includes an inner surface 202,an outer surface 204, and a plurality of retaining walls 206. In someexamples, the base member 200 can be referred to a basin. In the exampleshown, the base member 200 is formed substantially as a square but inother examples the base member 200 can be formed as a different shapesuch as a rectangle, circle, or oval. The base member 200 includes araised portion 208. The raised portion 208 is of a conical shape and isgenerally located in the center of the base member 200 extending fromthe inner surface 202. In other examples, the raised portion can be of adifferent shape: square, rectangular, or rounded.

The base member 200 includes one or more steps 210 a and 210 b that areused as connection points to removably engage the stand 300 to the basemember 200. The steps can be generally located near the retaining walls206 of the base member 200 and extend from the inner surface 202 of thebase member 200. The steps 210 a and 210 b can include holes 214 a and214 b. In the example shown, the steps 210 a and 210 b are formed as arectangle, but in other examples can be of other shapes such as squaresor circles. In the example shown, the steps 210 a and 210 b align withthe raised portion 208 on the inner surface 202 of the base member 200,with the raised portion 208 centered between the steps 210 a and 210 b.This allows for the stand 300 to be positioned above the raised portion208 of the base member 200 when the stand 300 is removably connected tothe base member 200.

The base member 200 also can include cut outs 212. As shown in FIG. 7,when a lid 500 is removably connected with the base member 200, the cutouts 212 of the base member 200 can be accessed for easy opening andremoval of the lid 500 from the base member 200 by allowing a user'sfingers to fit within the cut outs 212 and apply a pulling force todisengage the lid 500 from the base member 200. The cut outs 212 in thisexample are rounded curves, but in other examples can be of a differentshape.

The stand 300 in the example shown includes a first end 302, a tube 316,a plurality of second ends 304 a and 304 b, a plurality of legs 308 aand 308 b, and a passageway 306. The second ends 304 a and 304 b of thestand 300 engage with the steps 210 a and 210 b of the base member 200to removably connect the stand 300 to the base member 200 and positionthe stand 300 upright and away from the inner surface 202 of the basemember 200. As shown in FIG. 2, the second ends 304 a and 304 b of thestand include tabs 314 a and 314 b. When the stand 300 is removablyconnected to the base member 200, tab 314 a on the second end 304 aengages and locks into the hole 214 a of the step 210 a of the basemember 200. Similarly, tab 314 b on the second end 304 b engages withthe hole 214 b of the step 210 b of the base member 200, locking thestand 300 upright and in place while connected to the base member 200.This allows for a solid and secure stand 300 when the outer surface 204of the base member 200 is resting on a flat surface like a bathroomcounter, a desk, or any type of counter. In some examples, the basemember does not include steps and the legs engage with the inner surfaceof the base member directly. In even other examples, holes can be formedwithin the inner surface of the base member in which the legs of thestand removably engage.

The stand 300 can further include ridges 310 a and 310 b that extendalong the legs 308 a and 308 b. The ridges 310 a and 310 b can providerigidity and stability to the stand 300 when the stand 300 is engagedwith the base member 200, preventing the stand 300 from falling one wayor another while removably connected to the base member 200.

In the example shown, the tube 316 of the stand 300 extends from thefirst end 302 towards the second ends 304 a and 304 b. The tube 316 canbe tapered and allows for the passageway 306 to extend through the firstend 302 of the stand 300 and in this example in between the legs 308 aand 308 b of the stand 300. When the stand 300 is connected to the basemember 200, the center of the tube 316 of the stand 300 aligns above theraised portion 208 of the base member 200. In the example shown, thereis space between the raised portion 208 of the base member 200 and thetube 316 of the stand 300, allowing for natural or ambient light to passthrough the passageway 306 of the tube 316 while the stand 300 isconnected to the base member 200. The amount of light passing throughthe passageway 306 of the tube 316 is intensified with the raisedportion 208 of the base member 200. The amount of space between theraised portion 208 and the tube 316 can vary between examples. When theuser 600 hovers above the contact lens applicator 100, the raisedportion 208 of the base member 200 can be seen through the passageway306 of the stand 300.

In the example shown, the stand 300 includes two legs 308 a and 308 b.In other examples, the stand can include only one leg or more than twolegs, with corresponding ends, tabs, and ridges. The legs 308 a and 308b can be configured with multiple bends as they connect the first end302 with the second ends 304 a and 304 b of the stand 300. One or morebends in the legs 308 a and 308 b can form points 318 a and 318 b of thestand 300. In some examples, the ridges 310 a and 310 b along the legs308 a and 308 b can also act as a channel along the legs 308 a and 308 bof the stand 300.

As shown in FIG. 5, when excess liquid spills out of the contact lens700 while preparing the contact lens 700 on the applicator for insertioninto the user's eye 602 or while the user 600 inserts the contact lens700 into their eye 602, excess liquid can flow down around the lensholder 400, down along the stand 300 and along the legs 308 a and 308 band the ridges 310 a and 310 b of the stand. The excess liquid can thendrip from the legs 308 a and 308 b at the points 318 a and 318 b of thestand 300 and onto the inner surface 202 of the base member 200. Thisallows for the base member 200 to collect all excess liquid and preventliquid from spilling out of the base member 200 onto the externalsurface that the outer surface 204 of the base member 200 of the contactlens applicator 100 is resting on. When the user is finished with thecontact lens applicator 100, the excess liquid collected within the basemember 200 can be discarded or wiped out without having the liquid spillunintentionally onto counters, floors, or other surfaces that thecontact lens applicator 100 is resting on.

When the contact lens applicator 100 is not in use, legs 308 a and 308 bof the stand 300 are formed substantially of a rigid material yetflexible enough to squeeze the legs 308 a and 308 b together todisengage the tabs 314 a and 314 b from the holes 214 a and 214 b of thesteps 210 a and 210 b of the base member 200. The stand 300 is sized tothen be able to lay flat on the inner surface 202 of the base member200, fitting within the retaining walls 206 of the base member 200.

As shown in the example, the lens holder 400 includes a handle 402 and acup 404. The lens holder 400 can also be referred to as a plunger. Thelens holder 400 further includes a passageway 406 that extends theentire length of the lens holder 400, through the handle 402 and throughthe cup 404. In the example shown, the handle 402 has a tapered shape.The handle 402 of the lens holder 400 fits into and rests within thetube 316 of the stand 300. When the stand 300 is removably connected tothe base member 200, the handle 402 of the lens holder 400 rests withinthe tube 316 of the stand 300 with the concave side of the cup 404 ofthe lens holder 400 facing away from the inner surface 202 of the basemember 200.

In the example shown, when the lens holder 400 is engaged with the stand300, the passageway 406 of the lens holder 400 aligns with thepassageway 306 of the stand 300. When the user 600 looks from above andover the contact lens applicator 100, the raised portion 208 of the basemember 200 can be seen through the aligned passageway 306 of the stand300 and the passageway 406 of the lens holder 400. In some examples, thebase member 200 does not include a raised portion 208 and when lookingfrom above and over the contact lens applicator the inner surface 202 ofthe base member 200 can be seen through the passageway 306 of the stand300 and the aligned passageway 406 of the lens holder 400.

The lens holder 400 can be made of high-grade or medical grade latexrubber or silicone. It is preferred that the lens holder 400 has enoughelasticity for a user to at times be able to pinch the handle 402 of thelens holder 400. In some instances, a user of the lens holder 400 canutilize the lens holder 400 separately from the contact lens applicator100 to remove contact lenses from their eyes by pinching the handle 402of the lens holder 400. This pinching or squeezing will close thepassageway 406 of the lens holder 400. When the handle 406 of the lensholder 400 is pinched, a user can then touch the cup 404 of the lensholder 400 against the inserted contact lens 700 on their eye 602. Bycarefully releasing some or all of the pressure from the pinching orsqueezing of the handle 406, the contact lens 700 will adhere to thesoft cup 404 of the lens holder 400, matching the concave shape of thecup, and come off of the eye.

As shown in FIG. 2, and in FIG. 7, the contact lens applicator 100 caninclude a lid 500. The lid can include an inner surface 502, an outersurface 504, and walls 506. The lid 500 can be of the same shape andsize as the base member 200, with the walls 506 of the lid 500configured to extend around the retaining walls 202 of the base member200. In some examples, the contact lens applicator 100 can be referredto a contact lens application kit. The contact lens application kit caninclude the base member, the stand, the lens holder, and the lid, withthe stand and the lens holder fitting inside an inner cavity created bythe inner surface 202 and retaining walls 206 of the base member 200 andthe inner surface 502 of the lid 500 when the lid 500 is connected ontothe base member 200.

FIG. 3 shows a side elevation view of the example contact lensapplicator 100. The base member 200 can be seen in a horizontal positionas if it were resting on a surface, such as a bathroom counter, a desk,or other flat surface. The stand 300 is engaged with the base member 200as described previously and secured in an upright position. The lensholder 400 is engaged with the stand 300, with the handle 402 of thelens holder 400 resting within the tube 316 of the stand 300. The lensholder 400 resting within the tube 316 of the stand allows for the cup404 of the lens holder to be horizontal from the side elevation view.When the contact lens 700 is then placed on the cup 404, with theconcave portion of the contact lens 700 matching with the concaveportion of the cup 404, liquid 800 or solution can be added to thecontact lens 700 while the contact lens 700 is resting on the cup 404 ofthe contact lens applicator 100.

When the contact lens 700 is resting on the cup 404 of the contact lensapplicator 100, it is raised above the external surface that the outersurface 204 of the bottom member 200 is resting on. The distance thatthe resting contact lens 700 is from the external surface that thebottom member 200 is resting on can vary, and in this example there isenough distance so that when the user 600 hovers over the contact lensapplicator 100 and begins to get closer to the contact lens applicator100 in order for the user's eye 602 to connect with the contact lens700, other portions of the user's face, such as their nose do not makecontact with the base member 200 or the surface that the base member 200is resting on. This allows for a more comfortable and elevated insertionexperience, but keeps the contact lens applicator 100 small enough forportability and travel.

The dotted lines of FIG. 3 through the contact lens applicator 100represent the light tunnel 900 created by the passageway 306 of thestand and the passageway 406 of the lens holder. As shown, bothpassageways 306 and 406 align when the lens holder 400 is engaged withthe stand 300 and the stand is secured onto the base member 200. When auser hovers above the contact lens applicator 100, the user can lookthrough the passageway 406 of the lens holder 400 and the passageway 306of the stand 300 and see the bottom member 200 through both the lensholder 400 and the stand 300. In this example, with the raised portion208 of the bottom member 200 also aligned with the passageways 306, 406,of the stand 300 and lens holder 400, the user can see the top of theraised portion 208 of the base member 200 through the stand 300 and lensholder 400 when looking through the aligned passageways.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of the example contact lens applicator 100, andfurther shows the alignment of the passageway 306 of the stand 300 andthe passageway 406 of the lens holder 400 when the stand 300 isremovably connected to the base member 200. When looking through thealigned passageway 306 of the stand 300 and passageway 406 of the lensholder 400, a user can see the raised portion 208 of the base member200. When the contact lens 700 is resting on the cup 404 of the lensholder 400, and filled with liquid 800, the user 600 can still see theraised portion 208 of the base member 200 and the natural light tunnel900 that is created through the passageways 306, 406 of the stand 300and the lens holder 400. This light tunnel 900 assists the user 600 inguiding their opened eye 602 to the center of the resting contact lens700 and assist with centering the contact lens 700 around the cornea ofthe eye 602. With the resting contact lens 700 stabilized and elevatedon the contact lens applicator 100, the user 600 is able to focus onkeeping their eye open with multiple fingers and both hands if needed,making for a more comfortable insertion experience.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective side view of the example contact lensapplicator 100. The base member 200 is configured to be resting on aflat surface. The stand 300 is removably secured to the base member 200.The lens holder 400 is engaged with the stand 300, the handle 402 of thelens holder 400 resting within the tube 316 of the stand 300. Thecontact lens 700 is resting on the cup 404 of the lens holder 400.Liquid 800 is added into the concave portion of the contact lens 700. Inthis example, the diameter 408 of the cup 404 is smaller than thediameter 702 of the contact lens 700. The user 600 is shown hoveringabove the contact lens applicator 100, with the user's eye 602 facingthe contact lens applicator 100 and hovering over the aligned passageway306 of the stand and the passageway 406 of the lens holder 400. The user600 can then align their eye 602 with the light tunnel 900 created bythe passageway 306 of the stand and the aligned passageway 406 of thelens holder and lower their eye towards the resting contact lens 700 andguide the contact lens 700 onto their open eye 602. Excess liquid fromthe insertion process can again drain down the lens holder 400, down thestand 300 and along the ridges 310 a and 310 b of the stand 300, anddrip from the points 318 a and 318 b of the legs 308 a and 308 b of thestand 300 and onto the inner surface 202 of the base member 200.

FIG. 6, and FIG. 7, show perspective views of the example contact lensapplicator 100 in a disassembled state. The stand 300 is disengaged fromthe base member 200 and the lens holder 400 is disengaged from the stand300. In this example, when the contact lens applicator 100 is not in usethe stand 300 can be laid down within the inner surface 202 andretaining walls 206 of the base member 200. The lens holder 400 can alsobe laid down within the inner surface 202 and retaining walls 206 of thebase member, near and not interfering with the stand 300. With the stand300 and lens holder 400 disengaged and within the base member 200, thelid 500 can cover the stand 300 and the lens 400, surround the retainingwalls 206 of the base member 200 and form an inner cavity for the stand300 and lens holder 400 to be stored when not in use. This can easetransport of the contact lens applicator 100, and keep the components ofthe contact lens applicator 100 together and secure.

The contact lens applicator 100 can also be referred to as a contactlens application kit. The contact lens application kit includes the basemember 200, the stand 300, the lens holder 400, and the lid 500. Thecontact lens applicator, or application kit, can further include otheraccessories that fit within the inner cavity created by the innersurface 202 and the retaining walls 206 of the base member 200, and thelid 500. These other accessories can include a compartment for holdingone or more contact lenses, tweezers or more specifically soft-tippedtweezer for transporting a contact lens from a compartment to the cup ofthe contact lens applicator. Other accessories could include a vial orarea of the inner cavity for holding liquid or solutions for use withthe insertion of the contact lens to the user's eye.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety ofmodifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect tothe above-described examples without departing from the scope of theinvention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinationsare to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept.

The patent claims at the end of this patent application are not intendedto be construed under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless traditionalmeans-plus-function language is expressly recited, such as “means for”or “step for” language being explicitly recited in the claim(s).

What is claimed is:
 1. A contact lens applicator for applying a contactlens to an eye of a user, comprising: a base member; a stand having afirst end, a second end, and a passageway through the stand, the secondend of the stand configured to removably engage with the base member;and a lens holder engaged with the first end of the stand, the lensholder having a handle, a cup, and a passageway through the handle andthe cup, the cup configured to support the contact lens, wherein thepassageway of the stand and the passageway of the lens holder align whenthe stand and the lens holder are removably engaged with the basemember.
 2. The contact lens applicator of claim 1, wherein the basemember includes a raised portion, wherein the raised portion of the basemember aligns with the passageway of the stand and the passageway of thelens holder when the stand and the lens holder are removably engaged tothe base member.
 3. The contact lens applicator of claim 2, wherein theraised portion of the base member is conical.
 4. The contact lensapplicator of claim 1, wherein the tube of the stand is tapered.
 5. Thecontact lens applicator of claim 4, wherein the handle of the lensholder is tapered.
 6. The contact lens applicator of claim 1, wherein adiameter of the cup of the lens holder is smaller than a diameter of thecontact lens.
 7. A contact lens application kit, comprising: a basemember; a lid configured to cover the base member; a stand having atube; and a lens holder configured to removably engage with the tube ofthe stand, wherein the stand and the lens holder, when disengaged fromthe base member, can fit within an inner cavity of the base member andthe lid when the lid is removably engaged with the base member.
 8. Thecontact lens application kit of claim 10, the inner cavity of the basemember and the lid further comprising an area configured to hold anaccessory.
 9. The contact lens application kit of claim 11, wherein theaccessory is a storage compartment for one or more contact lenses. 10.The contact lens application kit of claim 11, wherein the accessory is avial of liquid solution.
 11. The contact lens application kit of claim11, wherein the accessory is a soft-tipped tweezer.